Page 55 - What the Qur'an Says about Liars and Their Methods

How Liars Deceive Themselves
Claiming that lying is necessary
to defend one's self against other people

Sometimes, liars blame the people to whom they are talking
for their lies, claiming that they were afraid that these people
might harm them in some way. They do this in order to arouse
people's pity so that they can justify their lies. For example, when
she loses money that has been entrusted to her, she claims that
she neither saw nor received it. Or, when he cannot perform an
assigned task, he just tells a string of lies about it, such as he had
a number of problems and therefore could not do the job and
then goes on to describe a number of imaginary events. When his
lies are revealed, he says that he lied in order to protect himself.
In contrast, believers fear only Allah and so always tell the
truth. Those who fear other people more than they fear Allah do
not stay within the boundaries established by Him, and so are
able to lie with ease. Even when, as often happens, they are not
going to be harmed by other people, their own arrogance en-
courages them to deny what they have failed or forgotten to do
by making excuses. Liars think only about their image in the eyes
of others, all the while forgetting that what should really matter
to them is Allah's will and mercy, as well as Paradise.

Those who trust in their innocent
and childlike appearances

One's physical appearance also can be quite deceiving. Even
though some people outwardly appear to be innocent and child-
like, this is no indication that they really are so. The truly inno-
cent are those who conform to the Qur'an, hold Allah in awe, and
take refuge in Him. Some people believe that an innocent and
childlike appearance will protect them in the Hereafter, for if they
can deceive people here, why not in the Hereafter? This delusion
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